Mail-box.



No. 801,622. PATENTED OCT. 10, 1905.

E. F. WALLACE.

MAIL BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.1B, 1905.

5711555175 INVENI'HR" mzwm- J/Mfl MNURNEK EMILUS F. WALLACE, OF SYRACUSE, NElV YORK.

MAIL-BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1905.

Application filed January 16,1905. Serial No 241,325.

To (1]! about it may concern:

Be it known that I, EMILUS F. \VALLAOE, of Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Mail-Boxes, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in mail-boxes similar to that set forth in my Patent No. 745,938, issued December 1, 1903, in which provision is made for the reception of letters and packages in a single compartment, but through separate entrances.

One object of my present invention is to render this class of mail-boxes more practical and efficient and at the same time to reduce the cost of manufacture.

Another object is to guard the entrances by suitable closures or lids to prevent malicious interference with the contents of the box when the lids are open or closed and also to prevent the entrance of rain, snow, or dust when the lids are closed.

A further object is to provide means whereby the lid for the letter-entrance is opened and closed by the opening and closing of the package-receiving lid.

Other objects and uses will be brought out in the following description.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved mail-box. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view of the same, showing the central portion broken away and the lids as closed. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view of the upper portion of the mailbox, showing the lids open. Fig, 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of a portion of the lower end of the box, showing the draw for the opening through which the mail may be withdrawn. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the lid or closure for the paclmge-entrance. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the guard-plate for the inner portion of the package-lid, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the lid for the letter-entrance.

This box is made of sheet or cast metal and in its general external appearance and mode of operation is made to conform as nearly as possible to those now in general use, so as to avoid any radical changes which might lead to confusion.

It consists, essentially, of a bottom 1, front and rear sides 2 and 3, and ends t and 5, all of which parts are securely united together to form a substantially rectangular upright box having a single interior chamber or compartment for receiving both letters and packages, thereby avoiding certain complications of structure in the use of separate compartments for the different classes of mail-matter. The top edges of the ends L and 5 are arched upwardly some distance above the upper edges of the front and rear sides and are connected by a similarly-formed plate 6, which is permanently secured to the upper edges of the ends and rear side of the box and extends upwardly and forwardly from the rear side 3 to sub stantially the longitudinal center of the box, so that its front edge is disposed in a vertical plane substantially midway between the front and rear sides 2 and 3, so as to leave a comparatively large opening extending from end to end and of greater transverse width than half the width of the box from front to rear. This opening is normally closed by two separate metal plates or lids 7 and 8, the plate or lid 7 being by far the larger and covers substantially the entire opening and constitutes What may be termed the package or parcel lid, while the other lid, 8, is comparatively small and merely covers the gap between the front edge of the plate 6 and adjacent portion of the plate or lid 7 and may be termed the letter-lid. The lid 7 is hinged at 9 to the upper portions of the ends a and 5 and in front of the front edge of the plate 6 and consists of an inverted basket or receptacle having its open side at the bottom, which is adapted to swing into and out of registration with the opening and also with the inte rior of the mail box. The front and rear sides of this basket or receptacle are united at the top and converge downwardly, so that the lower open side is wider from front to rear than the top to facilitate the entrance and discharge of the mail-matter which may be placed therein, said receptacle being provided with end walls 10, which travel closely to the inner faces of the box ends 4: and 5. so as to afford as much space lengthwise of the box as possible, the lower edges of these ends 10 being concentric with the swinging axis of the receptacle and travel in close proximity to the upper edge of the front side 2 of the box.

The front wall of the receptacle covers the major part of the mail-inletopening of the box when the receptacle is closed, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2; but in order to prevent the entrance of rain, snow, or other foreign matter when the receptacle is closed this front wall is provided at its end with depending flanges 11,

which lap upon the outer faces of the ends 1 and 5, as best seen in Figs. 1 and 5, while the lower edge of said front wall extends downwardly beyond the bottom of the mail-inlet opening and at the outside of the front side 2 for the same purpose and for forming a suitable hand-grip or lid 12, whereby the receptacle may be rocked on its axis.

- A second receptacle 13 is hinged at 1 1 to the ends of the box near its front wall and just below the mail-inlet opening so as to swing within the interior of the box across the open side of the former receptacle and toward and away from the mail-inlet opening. This latter receptacle 13 is open at the top and also at its front and rear ends and is of substantially the same length as the lid 7, but is adapted to swing with said lid as the latter is opened and closed. In order to effect this simultaneous swinging movement of both receptacles, I provide the inner faces of the ends of the receptacle 7 with suitable shoulders 15, which engage upwardly-projecting lugs 16 on the ends of the receptacle 13, said lugs being located above the pivot 14 and normally in front of the shoulders 15, so that when the lid 7 is rocked upwardly to receive the mail the inner end of the receptacle 13 is also rocked upwardly and, together with the rear wall of the receptacle 7, constitutes a pocket or support for the mail-matter when the receptacle 7 is open, as best seen in Fig. 3.

The point of contact between the shoulders ceptacle 13, and therefore the inner end of this receptacle is moved with greater rapidity I than the section 7, so that the bottom of the receptacle 13 enters the open side of the receptacle 7 and permits the rear side of the latter receptacle to travel under the inner end of the receptacle 13; but as soon as the shoulders 15 leave the lugs 16 during the upward movement of the lid 7 the inner-end or bottom of the receptacle 13 is free to ride upon the inner face of the rear wall of the lid 7, and inasmuch as this bottom of the receptacle 13 has its outer edge close to the inner face of the front 2 it is evident that it serves also as a guard-plate to prevent malicious interference with the mailmatter in the box when the lid 7 is open. It now appears that the receptacles7 and 13 are pivotally mounted at the opposite sides of the mail-inlet opening with the open sides facing each other and that the receptacle 13 is actuated by the receptacle 7 to form a mail-receiving pocket when the section 7 is open and to discharge the mail from said pocket when the lid 7 is closedthatis, the rear side of the receptacle 7 and bottom of the receptacle 13 move away from each other when the receptacle 7 is closed, and therefore this closing operation serves not only to force the mailmatter into the box, but also provides ample opening for the discharge of the mail-matter from both receptacles into the box.

The lid 8 is pivoted at 17 to the plate 6 at the rear of its front edge and extends upwardly, forwardly, and downwardly beyond said front edge, so as to form an upright portion 18, having its lower edge normally resting upon the upper face of the receptacle 7, which latter receptacle is provided with a lengthwise head 19, forming an abutment against which the lower edge of the upright portion 18 normally bears to prevent the entrance of rain, snow, or other foreign matter into the box.

The package-lid 7 is operatively connected to open the letter-lid 8 and is thereforeprovided with upwardly-projecting arms 20, which enter the interior of the lid 8 and haveasliding engagement with the inner face of the rear wall of the lid 8 to open the latter when the package-lid is opened, as best seen in Fig. 3. The weight of the letter-lid is wholly in front of its pivot, and therefore this lid would close by its own gravity; but in order to close it positively I provide the upper ends of the arms with lateral shoulders 21, which ride against and upon suitable cams 22 on the inner faces of the ends 23 of the letter-lid, as shown in the lid 8 downwardly as the lid 7 is closed. This package-lid 7 is also hung in such manner as to be substantially balanced when closed, but has a slight preponderance of weight in front of its pivot, so as to close automat-ically by its own gravity, the closing action being facilitated by the weight of the receptacle 13, which is almost wholly inside of its pivot and rests upon the rear wall of the lid 7when the latter is open, as seen in Fig. 3. By pivoting the lid 7 in front of the front edge of the plate 6 it is evident that when said lid is rocked upwardly to its open position (seen in Fig. 3) the top of the lid at the rear of the pivot moves away from the plate 6 and forms a comparatively shallow letter-opening between the lid 7 and plate 6, but sufiiciently large to permit the insertion of letters therethrough, said letters being deflected to the rear of the box by a suitable deflector-plate 2 1 on the rear wall of the lid 7.

The ends, as 25, of the receptacle 13 extend some distance inwardly beyond the bottom, and their inner edges are preferably curved and ride upon the rear wall of the receptacle. 7 to regulate the descent of the receptacle 13 so that the shoulders 15 will take their proper positions behind the lugs 16 during the closing of the lid 7.

In order to permit the removal of the mail, I provide the box with an additional opening 26, which is formed in the lower portion of one of the ends, as 5, and is provided with a suitable closure 27, having inwardly-projecting wings 28. This closure is hinged at the bottom at 29 to the bottom of the box, and

1 and downwardly, but is normally locked by Figs. 3, 5, and 7, and thereby operate to drawits upper end is adapted to rock outwardly 1 any suitable means which is operable only by l a legalized attendant. The wings 28 travel in close proximity to the inner faces of the sides and 3 to brace and strengthen the closure 27 and are preferably inclosed by snitable shields 30, which form suitable guides 3 for the wings and also serve to protect the mail-matter from bein crushed or torn by the wings as the door 2'4 is opened and closed and also prevents the letters from lodging between the wings and adjacent portions of the box.

The mail-box is adapted to be removably secured to a post or other suitable support, and for this purpose I provide a fastening 32, which, however, is to form the subject-matter of another application and will not herein be specifically described.

In operation to place a package or letter in the box the operator engages and lifts the hand-grip l2, and thereby rocks the lid 7 on its pivot 9, which brings the open side of said lid to the front into registration with the mailinlet opening, and at the same time the shoulders 15 engage the lugs 16 and rock the re- 1 ceptacle 13 upwardly into the lid 7 to close communication between said mail-inlet and the interior of the box while the lid 7 is open and also to form a support for the package which is inserted into the exposed open side of the lid 7. During this opening of the lid 7 the arms 20 engage and rock the lid 8 upwardly and rearwardly and permit letters to be inserted between the top of the lid 7 and plate 6, although such letters may be placed in the receptacle '7, if desired. As soon as released the lids 7 and 8 and also the recepta cle 13 return by gravity to their normal positions, (seen in Fig. 2,) the inner ends of the i parts 7 and 13 spreading apart to permit the i discharge of the mail-matter which falls into the bottom of the box.

Having described my invention, what-I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

.1. A mail-box having an inlet, and two receptacles having open sides facing each other, one of the receptacles being hinged to the box above the inlet and having its open side at the bottom and swinging through the inlet and communicating alternately with the exterior and interior of the box 'the front and rear side of the open-sided receptacle being rigidly united at the top for the purpose described.

2. A mail-box having an inlet, and two receptacles one being hinged at the upper edge and the other at the lower edge of the inlet and both having open sides facing each other, said receptacles being operatively connected to swing together and one of them having its open side at the bottom and movable through said inlet into and out of the box for the pur pose described.

3. A mail-box having an inlet and a package-receptacle pivotally hung at its top to swing in the inlet and having its open side at the bottom and movable through the inlet into and out of the box, said open side being widest at the month from front to rear to facilitate the discharge of the packages therefrom.

4. A mail-box having an inlet, a packagereceptacle hinged at its upper side and having its lower side open and movable through the inlet into and out of the box, and a second receptacle hinged at the lower side of the inlet and movable with the former receptacle into and out of its open side, and connections between said receptacles whereby both are moved simultaneously.

A mail-box having a package-inlet, a paekage-receptacle hinged to swing in the in let and having an open side at the bottom, at its front and rear sides rigidly connected to the top and a lid hinged at top and rear of the inlet and resting on the top of the receptacle for the purpose set forth.

6. A mail-box having a mail-inlet, and two receptacles having open sides facing each other, one of the receptacles being hinged at the top to the box and having its open side at the bottom and swinging in the inlet, and the other receptacle being also hinged to the box below the inlet and operatively connected to swing with the former receptacle to ward the inlet.

7. A mail-box having a mail-inlet, and an open-sided package-receptaele hinged at its top and having its open side at the bottom and swinging in the inlet, and a tiltable lid hinged at the upper rear side of the inlet and having its free edge normally resting on the top of the receptacle.

8. A mail-box having a mail-inlet and an open-sided receptacle hinged at the top above the inlet and having its open side at the bottom and swinging in the inlet, the front and rear sides of said receptacle being rigidly united at the top and a second receptacle hinged below the inlet and movable into and out of the open side of said former receptacle.

9. A mail-box having an inlet, an opensided receptacle hinged at its top and having its open side at the bottom and swinging in the inlet, a lid hinged at the upper rear side of the inlet and normally resting on the top of said receptacle, said lid being operatively connected to and actuated by the receptacle to open and close the space between the receptacle and upper rear wall of the inlet.

10. A mail-box having a package-inlet, a package-receptaele hinged at the top infront of the upper rear side of the inlet and having its lower side open and swinging in said inlet, a lid hinged at the upper rear side of the inlet and movable into and out of engagement with the top of the receptacle, said lid tion by the receptacle, and a lid hinged at the I being operatively connected to and actuated 1 top of the opening and normally resting on by the receptacle. the top of the receptacle.

11. A mail-box having a package-inlet, a In witness whereof I have hereunto set my receptacle hinged to swing in the inlet and hand on this 21st day of September, 1904.

having its open side at the bottom, a guard- EMILUS F. WALLACE. plate movable across the open side of the re- Witnesses: ceptacle as the latter is rocked outwardly, MILDRED M. NOTT,

said guard-plate being actuated in one direcl H. E. CHASE. 

